OK, we're live with Jimmy

JIMMY SMITH: Tyler, Will Smith's agent, Joel Segal, isn't the type of guy who negotiates in the media, but suffice to say Smith is looking for the same kind of money that the Saints gave to Charles Grant with his contract extension last year. That would be a good starting point. The two sides are talking, I'm told, so diograzio that's what we can say to that. Whether he'll show up at camp, we'll know on Friday. But I'm told he probably won't be doing anything in the minicamp unless he gets a new deal. Time will tell.

JIMMY SMITH: It's a good bet both young players will have some sort of impact this season, Pierre. We'll know more by Sunday afternoon after seeing both Ellis and Pressley going against front-line offensive linemen in the no-pads drills that will take place in the five minicamp practices. So we'll better be able to formulate an opinion on what kind of impact they'll have this season.

JIMMY SMITH: We'll have to see if Deuce does anything at all in the weekend practices, Dwjuan, as well as training camp in July whether he'll be ready to go in the regular season. Know this: no one will work harder to re-hab his knees than McAllister, who has been busy doing that since the injury. As far as the play-calling from Sean Payton, I don't think he'll be too conservative. Look for the same kind of offense you've seen the last two seasons. From all accounts, Meachem looked good at the one OTA session the media watched last week. This weekend's practices will also give us more to see from Meachem so check back next week.

JIMMY SMITH: It's getting awfully crowded, at the wide receiver spot, craig. But Arrington has apparently shown he's a lot like Marques Colston and the trend seems to be in the NFL today to go with bigger, rangier wide receivers. So there's a chance. He's got to move ahead of quite a few people on the depth chart, though, to make the final roster.

JIMMY SMITH: It doesn't seem to be that imposing, Doc. But the NFC South should be tough this year, just as it has been in recent years with no repeat division winners. What looks good on paper now, though, can change an awful lot by the time the games roll around in the fall. People can be injure, replacements can become better than the players who went down. So it's tough to get a handle on games that could be marked down with a 'W' in May. That's why they play them all.

JIMMY SMITH: A trio of questions about Charles Grant: we'll try to touch on them all at once. Whether Grant can bounce back from a sub-par season as he had last year when he played with ligament damage in his ankle depends on whether he has fully recovered from the injury. He likely has. We won't know how Grant's legan entanglements will play themselves out yet, with court dates, whether he'll miss any training camp or game time. Jason Taylor would be an intriguiing possibility, but the Saints have failed in their attempts this offseason to acquire a marquee player in a trade. The Dolphins aren't going to give Taylor away. We haven't see Geathers on the field yet, so it's too early to tell whether he can make the team.

JIMMY SMITH: Bush is pretty heavily involved in the passing game as it is, Mark, and a case can already be made that he's more wide receiver than running back. Sort of a hybrid. But don't look for a permanent switch. He's too valuable a weapon in either position to pigeon-hole him as just a receiver. If team's have to prepare to stop him as both, it makes their job a little more difficult. Keying on him to shut him down just as a wide receiver takes much of that threat away.

JIMMY SMITH: Keep the faith, Joe. Both sides, I'm told, are working toward that long-term deal to keep the team in New Orleans. Ron Forman, the governor's point man in the negotiations, has spoken of the team's value to the community and the state, and Tom Benson last week said in Atlanta at the owner's meeting that he wants to bid on the 2013 Super Bowl next year and the only way to do that is with an agreement in place.
To answer your question, ejp, a new stadium is unlikely at this time because of the resources that are being poured into the Superdome to bring it into the 2000s. By the time those are completed, the Dome will almost be as if it's a new stadium.

JIMMY SMITH: Judging from what we've heard about Robert Meachem's offseason so far, Paul, he's in much better shape than he was last season when he fought through injuries in mincamp, OTAs and in training camp. He appears ready to challenge for playing time this season but remember it's only May. The games won't start until the exhibition season in August so much can happen in the interim. But we're seeing and hearing better things about Meachem than we did a year ago. There is a crowd at receiver, though, and to answer your question michael, Meachem will have to prove he belongs.

JIMMY SMITH: Wow, I feel almost as inundated with this barrage of cornerback questions as the Saints secondary did a year ago with long passes. We'll know more about the status of the cornerbacks after seeing the team go through these five minicamp workouts and one OTA the following week. We'll be able to see qho's lining up where, just how Tracy Porter has adapted to the playbook and if Osama Young has improved himself since last year and whether Jason David has been able to bounce back from what was a tough year. Patience, Saints fans. We'll be better able to give you some answers to these quesions after seeing these guys go through the paces this weekend.

JIMMY SMITH: Buck up, Brad, stay healthy and keep waiting. Everyone though last year was going to be a year, and if your heart survived that roller coaster ride, you're healthy enough to last another season. As to the collective health of long-time Saints' fans. only their physicans know for sure. It's just too unpredictable to determine whether the Saints are any closer to a Super Bowl title than they have been in the past. If you're a fan, you've developed patience. Practice it.

JIMMY SMITH: Good question, Jo, and one that was kicked around by our staff last summer with published results that some didn't necessarily agree with. I'll give you the top three. Five could be a stretch, one man's  opinion: Bobby Hebert, Archie Manning, Drew Brees. If Brees keeps playing the way he has, he'll move up to No. 2. But right now, Hebert is the top. He  had the confidence of his teammates, was gritty and hung in the pocket taking hits. Manning had a body of work with no help around him. Brees has brought one playoff appearance. He needs more to move ahead of Archie.

JIMMY SMITH: Mark and Cornell, your assessments are correct. You've got to have a good defense to win a title and it would be nice to see the linebackersa little more active at times. We'll know more once this defense plays against someone other than their own teammates, but on paper, the Saints do appear to have improved themselves on that side of the ball. It's tough to judge how much they've improved until the competition improves, too. Let's wait for a more thorough assessment until the first two or three weeks of the regular season.

JIMMY SMITH: Fishing for answer, eh, Trout? We're here to give you some. The involuntary manslaughter charges in Georgia could bring one to 10 years in prison if convicted. They're serious. That's not to say Grant will be convicted. What's unusual about his case is they've indicted so many people under the same charges. On the surface, you'd think they'd have a difficult time convicting anyone because of the number of individuals who've been indicted. What was disconcerting was reading the initial police report that had several witnesses identifying Charles Grant as the person who did the shooting. They'll sort it all out in the courtroom, likely. As to whether he'll miss camp time, as of this writing no additional court appearances have been set. We'll have to wait on that.

JIMMY SMITH: Marcus, just based on the kind of game Pierre Thomas had in the season finale against the Bears you'd think he'd get a long look at the top of the depth chart for some increased playing time. But Deuce McAllister can't lose his job because of injury. A lot will depend on how much Deuce can do at the beginning of camp, and how Thomas looks along side Aaron Stecker and Reggie Bush.   The coaches will give Thomas every opportunity to show that he can handle the load. It's up to him to prove it.

JIMMY SMITH: Flawed and soft. That's pretty harsh, Brian. I think the Saints' defensive scheme has been a reflection of the talent the team has on that side of the ball. If the DBs have been playing 10 yards off the ball, it's likely because the coaching staff believes that's the best way to cover with the athletes they have. Perhaps lack of speed or one-on-one cover skills are present and tight coverage at the line would merely expose those weaknesses. Schemes are usually devised depending upon the personnel  you have. It will be interesting to see whether things change this year with those new faces.

JIMMY SMITH: Anthony, about the only commercial I've seen featuring Reggie Bush lately has been those public service annoucements encouraging kids to get off the couch and be active. So, yes, it seems as though from that standpoint, he's doing much less to market himself endorsement-wise and perhaps concentrating more focus on preparing for the upcoming season. If that offseason concentration manifests itself in better on-field play, we'll know if Reggie's priority this season is football not marketing. But we won't know until the games begin.